Ichon Hangang Park brunch café: fiery garlic scape pasta at Mellang

On museum days, going somewhere far for lunch before the exhibits is such a hassle, so lunch is always a worry, right? This time I found a atmospheric spot within walking distance and tried a variety of dishes! You can walk to Ichon Hangang Park after eating, so the National Museum of Korea → lunch → Han River walk all fit into one day.

Today I went to Mellang (카페멜랑), a brunch café by Ichon Station, 12 minutes on foot from the museum, for the Mellang Platter and the garlic scape pasta with a fire show (+ a tip on adjusting the spice level included).

Mellang location, hours and parking

Mellang is at 248 Ichon-ro, Building 21, Unit 103, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 200m from Ichon Station Exit 4: go straight along the main road, cross the street and head left. It is open daily 10:00–20:30 (Sundays until 20:00) and closed on Mondays.

• Within walking distance of the National Museum of Korea, right next to Ichon Hangang Park
• Reservations on Catch Table
• Corkage allowed
• High chairs available
• Takeout and delivery available

Where to park for Mellang

Park at Hangang Mansion, the apartment complex behind the café. Tell the entrance "I'm here for Mellang" and you get through; after your meal, get the owner's signature on the store-confirmation line, show it at the guard office, and there's no parking fee.

How to get to Mellang from Ichon Station

Come out of Ichon Station Exit 4, follow the main road straight, cross the street and walk a little way to the left, and you're at Mellang. It's close enough to walk on to the museum, so you can head straight in after eating. I ate first and then strolled while looking at the exhibits (˶'ᵕ'˶ )

Ichon-dong has so many franchises that an independent café like this was a real pleasure. It's on the ground floor of an apartment complex's shops, a white building with huge picture windows that looks pretty even from far away.

Waiting times and atmosphere at Mellang

Mellang opens quite early, at 10, and around 10:30 a family table was already eating. They take names for a line outside at weekend lunch, so reserve on Catch Table if you want to eat in comfort.

Inside, the interior mixes white with baby blue and black. For a brunch café it's incredibly quiet, so the neighboring tables' chatter didn't overlap, and the tables weren't cramped. The music was great, and I thought, so this is what "atmosphere" means ⸝⸝◜ㅇ◝⸝⸝

Water bottles, cups and cutlery are already set on the table, and you order by table QR code, so there's no waiting with your hand in the air. There are high chairs too, and I saw several people with kids.

Mellang menu and prices

• Mellang Platter ₩19,000
• Caesar salad ₩16,000
• Ricotta cheese salad ₩16,000
• Truffle bacon eggs Benedict ₩19,000
• French toast ₩19,000
• Garlic scape pasta ₩18,000
• Green onion cream pasta ₩19,000
• Tomato ragu pasta ₩19,000
• Bisque shrimp rosé pasta ₩19,000
• Aged kimchi cream risotto ₩19,000
• Kimchi fried rice ₩17,000

The menu describes each dish in great detail, and "house-made sauce" shows up all over it (๑˘ ᵕ˘๑) They also have coffee, desserts and even wine, so you could come for brunch or for dinner.

Garlic scape pasta fire show: can you really taste the smoke?

Mellang's garlic scape pasta (₩18,000) is flamed in the pan when the order goes in to give it a smoky aroma, and it was my top pick today. I honestly had no idea there'd be a fire show here. So when the flames went up, I grabbed my phone first ᔪ(°ᐤ°)ᔭ

And the fire show isn't just for looks. How many places give oil pasta a smoky aroma..? With garlic scapes plus that smokiness, the savory depth just exploded!!

When I hear garlic scape pasta, I imagine a little garlic scent only in the topping, but at Mellang the aroma is soaked through the whole noodle.

Garlic scape pasta spice levels: how hot is the hottest?

You can choose the spice level for the garlic scape pasta, and the top level felt a little hotter than Shin Ramyun (a popular instant noodle). I love oil pasta and was craving something spicy, so I went for the top level, and it was hot but not sweat-inducing!

The noodles are neither chewy nor mushy, cooked just right for eating. The garlic scapes have a crunch too, and that kept my fork moving ..ෆ

What's in the Mellang Platter?

The Mellang Platter (₩19,000) comes with a lightly olive-oiled salad, scrambled eggs, bacon, jambon (Korean-style thin ham), avocado, house-made ricotta and bread, all lined up on one plate. Do you see all that fresh stuff packed in?

Mellang Platter scrambled eggs

The platter's scrambled eggs aren't just eggs stir-fried; they add milk and cheese, so they feel silky and moist. The nutty flavor lingers, so when you put them on bread you don't need any extra sauce.

Mellang Platter avocado

Surprisingly few places put avocado on a brunch platter. I stacked bread → ricotta → bacon → avocado and took it in one bite, and the moment salty bacon met soft avocado, it was heaven, everyone haha

Jambon, ricotta and salad

The jambon is laid out thin, so the saltiness doesn't hit hard. The ricotta is house-made, apparently! It's thick, so it's not spread on the bread but piled on. All the vegetables were fresh, which made me happy haha

Spicy garlic scape pasta + mild Mellang Platter, this combo was really good.

Honest verdict on Mellang near Ichon Station

• ✔️ Garlic scape pasta comes with a fire show, served with a smoky aroma
• ✔️ Spice level adjustable; the hottest is slightly above Shin Ramyun
• ✔️ The garlic aroma is in the noodles, not just the topping
• ✔️ Scrambled eggs with milk and cheese have a soft texture
• ✔️ Avocado on the platter (rare at brunch places)
• ✔️ Fresh vegetables, with house-made sauces and ricotta
• ✔️ Quiet for a brunch café, roomy table spacing, good music
• ✔️ Open kitchen · high chairs · table QR ordering · corkage allowed
• ✔️ Hangang Mansion parking, no fee with the signature
• ✔️ Walkable from the National Museum of Korea, right next to Ichon Hangang Park
• ❌ Portions are not large — for two, two plates plus one more is about right
• ❌ No decaf, which may disappoint if you want coffee too
• ❌ Closed Mondays; reserve for weekend lunch

If you like oil pasta and love a bit of spice, give it a try on your way to the museum. The ingredients are fresh, and Mellang made me want to come back! If you prefer cream, I hear the aged kimchi cream risotto cuts the richness, so that might be worth trying haha Next time I plan to have the green onion cream pasta with French toast.

After stuffing myself, I walked on to Ichon Hangang Park, and with a full belly my steps felt light. I think this is what small happiness is.